No Strings Attached
by 1Shadow-kun
Summary: Pete, Myka, and Claudia travel to Santa Fe, New Mexico where mysterious break ins have been occurring. The thing is none of the witnesses have any recollection of the event. Leaving the warehouse crew stumped.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a request from Snoble24 :)Sorry it took so long! Hope you like it disregard my spelling/ grammar mistakes and enjoy!

Disclaimer! I do NOT own Warehouse 13!

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Chapter 1~

"Pete!" Myka yelled from her room.

Pete had been making it a habit to mess with the warehouse crew for some reason. He was also downstairs at the breakfast table with a spoon full of Cookie Crisps in his mouth when Myka had come running down stairs covered in flour,her bathrobe was also covered in it.

"Pete, this has gone on long enough!" Myks yelled at him, "You need to stop!"

"Oh come on Myka! I was just having alittle fun. Right Claud? Back me up on this," Pete said turning to the half asleep teen.

"No way Pete, I think Myka's right. I haven't been able to sleep for the past couple of days because of your late night prank on me!" Claudia told him growing angrier with each word.

"Really? That scared you that much? Sorry Claud," Pete told her then turned to Myka when she coughed, "and Myka I'm sorry for putting a bucket of flour above your door."

"And," Myka prompted him.

"And I will stop pulling pranks on you guys," He told them sadly.

"Good," Artie said walking in the front door to the bed and breakfast, "Now that that's settled let's get down to your case you three are going to Santa Fe, New Mexico."

"Wait, Three of us as in?" Claudia asked.

"Pete,Myka and you, Claudia," Artie clarified getting annoyed.

"I get to go!" Claudia cheered and high fived Pete.

Artie turned to Myka and sarcastically asked, "Is there an echo in here?"

Claudia gave the older agent a look and continued to look at her case file.

"Now as I was saying you three are going to Santa Fe, New Mexico where you will be looking into reports of attacks and break ins on families while they sleep" Artie said.

"what do you mean exactly when you say attacks and break ins?" Myka asked cutting him off.

"I mean when the families would wake up their house would be overturned and in one report, one of the parents had been knocked out, with what the paramedics think was a bat," Artie informed her.

"They think?" Claudia inquired.

"Yes they think, the man had no recollection of what happened before the incident, in fact none of the witnesses remembered anything from the attacks," Artie told her with a glare in which Claudia put her hands up in mock surrender, "Now then get to it."

The group went up stairs following their dismissal and began to pack for their trip to New Mexico. The trip did not take as long as they thought. Actually their flight landed ahead of schedule. Which was good because the plane had made Claudia antsy, and had the opposite effect on Pete, which slept the whole flight while Myka read. The Girls took one bedroom for them while Pete took the conjoining room. It was around seven when they were all settled in. Pete went and got chinese food for them when Myka went to take a shower. Overall it was a good trip there, now all they had to worry about was finding the artifact responsible for the break ins.

Later that night before bed Myka was out on the balcony looking out to the shimmering lights.

"This place seems like a good place to live, it's so beautiful," Mkya said to no one in particular.

"Yeah if it weren't for the mysterious break ins that keep happening," Claudia told her," What do you think it is?"

"The artifact?" Myka got a head nod in response, "Well I can't say for certain till we do some interviews tomorrow. If I were to make an assumption, then I'd say it was some sort of artifact that lets people walk through walls, or a master key of some sort."

"Yeah," Claudia said absentmindedly as she lay down pulling the covers up to her, "Well, Night."

"Good night Claudia," Myka told her.

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A/N: Well that's the first chapter. I know it's kinda short but it's just the introduction to the story :) please feel free to review! Thanks for reading!~1S-K


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey guys here's my second chapter of No Strings Attached! Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Warehouse 13

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Chapter 2~

Claudia got out of the black SUV with her laptop in tow and made her way over to Pete and Myka who were interviewing the Donnellys, the latest family whose house was broken into.

"So Mrs. Donnelly, you say you were here during the break in but you don't remember who or what did this?" Myka inferred.

"That's correct agent Bering," The tall brunette told her.

"Well what is the last thing you do remember before the incident?" Pete asked.

"Let me think," She paused, " Last night we sat down for dinner and my husband, Charles, said that he heard a noise coming from his office . So he got up and walked in there and the next thing I know I'm waking up and the house is trashed and Charles is on the floor unconscious and bleeding."

Myka looked to Claudia who had been typing Mrs. Donnelly's statement into her computer, then to Pete who returned her gaze. This was going to be a hard case if they weren't going to get any information from the witnesses.

"Mrs. Donnelly? Do you by chance have any surveillance cameras around your house?" Myka asked suddenly.

"Why yes we do they are on the outside," She replied to Mkya, " The police went over them and said they found nothing, not even any suspicious characters about on the streets."

"Well do you mind if we take a look at them?" Myka asked.

"By all means," Mrs. Donnelly told her indicating to the tapes on the counter behind Myka.

"Thank you for your time Mrs. Donnelly, We'll have these back to you by tomorrow," Pete told her taking the videos from the counter.

As soon as the team had made it outside and back into their truck Claudia was already putting in the first surveillance disk and putting on her head phones.

"So Mykes, any clue to who could be doing this?" Pete asked, "because frankly I'm at a loss."

"Pete we've only interviewed one person and she also gave us footage of the night it happened," Myka told him, "We might have better luck with the next one."

"Right, right. Okay onward James!" Pete commanded relaxing back into his chair.

It took a solid twenty minutes to get to their destination in they left a frustrated Claudia in the car to tend to the videos. As soon as the two agents entered the house they immediately noticed a similarity in the two homes. It could have been just a coincidence but both households had puppets, everywhere.

"Pete-"

"Yeah I know Mykes, dolls," Pete told her.

"Oh no young man these are not dolls they are highly valuable puppets," An older gentlemen told them.

"Mr. Peterson I presume," Myka said extending him a hand.

"Yes my dear and who would you two be?" He asked.

"Agents Pete Lattimer and Myka Bering secret service," Pete told him flashing his badge.

"Oh my secret service how exciting," The old man smiled, "What can I help you with?"

"We are here about your break in sir," Myka told him.

"Oh young lady I may be old but not old enough to be called sir," He teased.

"My apologies. Now what do you remember from that night?" Myka prompted.

"Well I was here with my dog, Max, in the kitchen and I had heard some movement coming from the living room so we came in here and then the next thing I knew I was waking up in my recliner here," He indicated to the worn down pink reddish chair he was sitting in.

"Mr. Peterson, how long have you had these puppets?" Pete asked him checking out the the different puppets on his mantle.

"Well the oldest I have is about thirty years old," He started.

"And your most recent?" Pete asked.

"Well the most recent is from the day before some hoodlums broke into my house," He told them.

Pete and Myka just exchanged looks and then turned towards the puppets.

"Mykes they both have been attacked and they both have puppets in their house and I'll bet you a jelly doughnut that if I call Mrs. Donnelly and ask her when the last time she bought a puppet she would say the day of the incident," Pete whispered to her.

"Um, Mr. Peterson if I may ask where did you purchase your most recent puppet?" Myka asked with a smile.

"I got it at Zozobra puppeteer shop about a ten minute drive from here," He told her.

"Thank you very much Mr. Peterson, If you think of anything else let us know," Pete told him.

Myka went to the car to see how Claudia was doing with the videos. She opened the car door just in time to hear Claudia let out an exasperated sigh followed by an annoyed growl.

"Not good?" Myka asked sympathetically.

"That's an understatement if I ever heard one. Nothing, I have nothing! I've been over these two disks alone two times!" Claudia told her.

"You didn't find anything at all?" Myka asked in disbelief.

"Well I did notice something that was odd but I couldn't get a good close up on it," Claudia said turning the computer to Myka, " Okay look right here."

Myka watched the screen and only saw shadows of people walk by the window. She looked up to see Claudia watching her.

"What? It's just the Donnelly's walking by the window." Myka asked.

"No it's not. If you look right here there are four shadows that pass by the window, the Donnelly's only have two people in their family, and if you look closely the shadows and considerably smaller in size than a human," Claudia filled her in.

Just then Pete came into the car, "You owe me a jelly filled doughnut!"

"So they bought a puppet the day of the attack?" Myka asked.

"No. They bought two!" Pete exclaimed, "and not only that but they had bought it from the same store, Pete two Myka zip!"

Myka and Claudia looked at each other and said, " It's the puppets."

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A/N: Well here's chapter two! thoughts? Notes? Concerns?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hey guys here's chapter 3 of No Strings Attached! Hope you enjoy and ignore my mistakes:)  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Warehouse 13!  
_

Chapter 3~ "So Claud, so did you find anything about this zozo place?" Pete asked from the driver seat.  
"Zozobra," Claudia corrected, " and yes. Apparently it's a huge event here in Santa Fe. Zozobra or Old Man Gloom is the name of a giant marionette effigy which is built and burned every autumn during Fiestas de Santa Fe. It's usually during the second week of September and by burning him, people destroy the worries and troubles of the previous year in the flames. It says that people write their gloom on pieces of paper and burn those along with Zozobra."  
"Wow they build a giant puppet just to burn it?" Pete said in awe.  
"Marionette," Myka corrected, "I remember hearing about the festival, it's pretty old right Claud."  
"Yup, just like Artie it's been around since 1712 and it's in the Guinness World Records as the largest marionette in the world," Claudia told them.  
"Great so maybe this place has a giant spirit puppet controlling the other puppets to attack all the people who burned him," Suggested Pete.  
"No, I don't think so," Claudia said, "I was doing some digging and I found out that the families that have been attacked don't participate in the burning of Zozobra."  
"Okay. Well, we're here so lets get a good look around the place ," Myka told them.  
Entering the building, it was a large gray two story building inside and out. There was tons of puppets and marionettes hanging everywhere. "Dude looks like we walked into the night of the living dummy," Claudia commented.  
"Pete, you and Claudia look around and I'll go find the owner," Myka told them.  
"Dude, stop touching the puppets!" Claudia hissed at Pete who was making the Darth Vader marionette attack the Hulk one.  
"Oh, com'on Claud they are harmless," Just then the light saber broke off and Pete put the marionette away, "Got it no touchy the puppets."  
"Hey Pete look at this!" Claudia said pointing to giant wooden X hanging from the ceiling, "You think that could be Zozobra's control cross?"  
"I'm not sure, but if it is we will have to come back later to goo it," Pete told her.  
Myka joined up with them after a few moments.  
"Hey so the owner says that nothing weird has ever happened with his puppets and he claims that he knows nothing about the attacks that happened to the families," Myka told them.  
"Well, Claud and I think we may have found said artifact," Pete said pointing above their heads. "We may have to check with Artie to see if it could be the cross, but if it is we're going to have to come back for it," Myka mused.  
"Way ahead of you. I already swiped the spare keys," Claudia told her smirking.  
_

A/N: Hope you enjoyed chapter 3 even though it's so short but **Spoiler for next chapter** One of the team members get hurt . So thanks for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting :) 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey guys here's chapter four! Enjoy~

A shout out to Chinagirl18, curiositycollection, Snoble24, Leah, and Ellie for reviewing so far!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Warehouse 13~

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Chapter 4~

As Pete, Myka, and Claudia walked into the eerie puppet shop something was off.

"Pete, Claud and I will check out that cross and you-"

"Will search for clues down here got it," Pete told Myka.

They split up, Myka and Claudia were trying to find a way to get close enough to the "X" to goo it. Pete went behind the counter to see what could be making puppets come to life.

"Claudia be careful. I don't know how stable that beam is," Myka told her from where she stood on the second level.

"It's okay Myka it's pretty sturdy, not that I'll be jumping on it anytime soon though," Claudia told her.

"Just goo it and get down, okay?" Myka told her.

"No arguments there," Claud said a hint of fear showing through.

Just then a bunch of movement was heard from the shop below. Claudia stopped where she was and gave Myka a look.

"Myka?"

"Yeah, I heard it too. Hurry,"

Claudia now walking as quickly as she could across the beam, without falling, Made it to where she was directly over the cross.

"Please work," Claudia said kneeling down and pouring the goo canister onto the wood.

"Frak! Myka it's not the artifact!" Claudia yelled over her shoulder.

"Claudia! Look out!" Myka screamed as two puppet joined her on the beam.

"Crap-tastic, you guys come here often?" Claudia said backing away from the glowing red puppets, " Yeah me neither." Claudia then started sprinting back to Myka , but before she could make it one of the puppets grabbed her leg and tripped her. She rolled to the side just barely grabbing on to the beam before she fell to the ground below.

"Myka!" Claudia called for help.

"Hold on Claud!" Myka pointed her tesla at the puppets trying to pull Claudia's fingers loose from the beam, and fired. The puppets dropped to the ground below and clattered as they broke apart. Myka pulled Claudia up and off the beam getting her to solid ground.

"That Myka, I thought I was going to become a pancake," Claudia told her.

"I would never let that happen," Myka told her.

Just then they heard a horrible wail from down stairs.

"Pete!" Myka called running down the steps with Claudia hot on her heels, "Pete? Pete where are you?"

"Myka! Over there" Claudia pointed to knocked out Pete.

"Pete? Pete can you hear me?" Myka asked him shaking him a little.

"Myka," Something in Claudia's voice made her heart speed up, "We need to get him to the hospital."

Myka looked at where Claudia's eyes had been locked on. On the side of Pete's head was a huge gash with blood free flowing from it.

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A/N: Short chapter again... Sorry hope you liked it though! Can you guess who's behind it? and what that Artifact is?


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